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Poverty & Inequality

What do poor people think about direct cash transfers?

  • Perspectives

Economic mobility in India: Estimation using ‘noisy’ data

There has been a dramatic rise in inequality in India post-liberalisation. This article finds economic mobility to be markedly low, with at least seven out of 10 poor households remaining poor or at-r...

  • Articles

EWS reservation in higher education: Affirmative action or vote bank politics?

The Constitution (103rd Amendment) Act, 2019, provides for 10% reservation for the economically weaker sections (EWS) in higher educational institutions within the general category. In this post, Devi...

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What is happening to rural welfare, poverty, and inequality in India?

An analysis of the draft National Statistical Office report that the Government has decided not to put out shows a deterioration in 2017-18 in consumption and poverty levels in rural India. The reason...

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NYAY e-Symposium: Not long-term solution to poverty but useful ‘first-aid’

Maitreesh Ghatak (Professor of Economics, London School of Economics) contends that a cash transfer, as envisaged by NYAY, will provide some relief and a safety net to the poor living on the margins o...

  • Perspectives

Introduction to e-Symposium: The idea of a universal basic income in the Indian context

A major announcement in the Congress manifesto, in the ongoing parliamentary election, is the minimum income guarantee proposal – Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY). In this symposium, Bharat Ramaswami (Asho...

  • Symposia

NYAY e-Symposium: Four concerns around cash transfer policies

Bharat Ramswami (Professor of Economics, Ashoka University) discusses four sets of caveats in implementing NYAY as an add-on cash transfer. He contends that the emergence of cash transfers as a sustai...

  • Perspectives

NYAY e-Symposium: Doing justice to NYAY

Jean Drèze (Visiting Professor, Ranchi University) discusses the role of NYAY in the larger context of social security in India, and proposes some tentative principles for the scheme

  • Perspectives

NYAY e-Symposium: The case for a universal basic income supplement

Pranab Bardhan (Professor of Economics, University of California, Berkeley) argues in favour of an income supplement, albeit one that is universal.

  • Perspectives

Can Rahul Gandhi’s minimum income guarantee proposal work?

Congress president Rahul Gandhi has promised a minimum income guarantee scheme for the poor if the party is voted to power in the upcoming elections. Discussing the proposal and associated concerns, P...

  • Perspectives

Cash transfers and adult labour outcomes in developing countries

The basic economic model of labour supply predicts that when an adult receives an unexpected cash windfall they should work less and earn less. This underlies concerns that cash transfers will undermi...

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In which countries do children have the best chances to surpass their parents' education?

Intergenerational mobility contributes to social stability and cohesion, and is associated with higher, more inclusive economic growth in the long-term. This article presents global trends in absolute...

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Intergenerational mobility across the world: Where socioeconomic status of parents matters the most (and least)

Intergenerational mobility is important for fairness and economic efficiency in a society. This article uses data from a new global study spanning five decades to show that average relative mobility i...

  • Articles

How income gains from globalisation are distributed

Globalisation stirs a diverse range of sentiments and views: some credit globalisation for boosting economic well-being while others blame it for worsening inequality. This article examines the effect...

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Enhancing nutrition among the poor: UBI vs. welfare programmes

Some proponents of universal basic income (UBI) for India believe that the unconditional cash transfer should replace existing welfare programmes. Based on analysis of National Sample Survey data, thi...

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Who does not get caught by social safety nets?

While implementation failure is an oft-cited reason for low coverage rates of welfare programmes, even relatively well-implemented programmes can fail to reach intended recipients. Based on an experim...

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